Budget Battles Rage On in Pennsylvania, Illinois - MARK PETERS and KRIS MAHER, Wall Street Journal

While most states’ finances are on the upswing, Illinois and Pennsylvania are showing increasing signs of strain as budget battles long settled in other capitals stretch into the fall. In Illinois, bills for college financial aid and domestic-violence support services are going unpaid. Lottery winners can’t collect prize money and the state museum has closed. In Pennsylvania, some school districts are borrowing money to stay open while others warn they soon won’t be able to make payroll. Social-service providers are trimming staff. “There is a lot of urgency to say the least to get a budget passed. There is a lot at stake, and a lot of people who are vulnerable,” said Mitch Dickey, student-body president at the University of Illinois, among 130,000 students whose financial aid from the state hasn’t been paid. http://www.wsj.com/articles/budget-battles-rage-on-in-pennsylvania-illinois-1444175466